Riding toy



June 16, 1964 J. H. LEMELSON RIDING TOY Original Filed Dec. 29, 1958 Illll.

INVENTOR.

JEROME H.LEMELSON United States Patent 5 Claims. (Cl. 2801.22)

This invention relates to improvements in hollow plastic toys and is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 801,681 filed December 29, 1958 now Patent No. 3,066,439 which was filed under Rule 147 as a division of Serial No. 320,184 filed November 13, 1952, now abandoned.

In particular this invention relates to riding toys having bodies made of flexible plastic material which are either generally not self-supporting per se or are incapable of supporting the weight of a child without collapsing or greatly deforming. Accordingly an improved structure is provided in a riding toy made at least in part of flexible plastic material and having one or more portions or parts thereof made of rigid material and utilized to generally both support the flexible plastic material and as a seat portion for retaining the child.

Accordingly, utilizing the structure provided herein or a modification thereof, large riding toys may be fabricated of relatively light weight, thin walled flexible plastic material which would ordinarily not be used for such purposes. As a result, the toy itself may be made relatively light in weight and at a relatively low cost due to material savings. Other advantages include, the provision of a resilient toy body which is shock absorbing and free of sharp or hard surfaces which may injure or bruise the child during normal play and the provision of a structure in a riding toy which may be collapsed or partially compressed cluring packaging resulting in the utilization of a smaller and lighter weight container therefor.

The nature of the invention, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a riding toy embodying features of the invention and FIG. 2 is a lateral cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken through planes 2-2. 1

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate structural and design details of a riding toy having a hollow body 11 at least part of which is made of a resilient plastic material which is insuflicient in strength and rigidity to support the Weight of a child. The lower part of the toy 10 is illustrated as comprising a vehicular body 12 having a bottom wall 12' and a circumscribing side wall 13 which terminates at a circumscribing upper rim 13'. A flat platform or plate member 15 extends across the body 12 between the side walls thereof and serves the functions of reinforcing the body and supporting an upwardly extending member 21, the function of which will be described. The sides of the body 12 are defined by downwardly extending platelike members 14 which provide bearing support for a plurality of axles 17 which support wheels 16 at their ends for rolling movement of the toy across a surface. The body 12 may be fabricated of plastic by molding or other suitable means.

Extending upwardly from 12 is a body member 18 having walls 18' which are relatively thin and are made of flexible resilient plastic material such as polyvinyl-chloride, polyethylene or other suitable flexible plastic. The walls 18' circumscribe the side wall of the lower body 12 and are bonded or heat sealed thereto in a circtunscrib- 3,137,510 Patented June 16, 1964 ing seal line 19 providing an interior volume 11 which is totally enclosed.

The upwardly extending member 21 has a lower flange 22 which is secured to the platform or floor member 15 and extends upwardly through an opening (not shown) in the upper wall 18" of the resilient toy body 18. The member 21 may be in the shape of a tube or strut per Se or a frame and has secured to or formed as an integral portion thereof, a flange-like formation 24 near its upper end the upper surface of which abuts the undersurface of the upper wall 18" and supports said flexible body portion 18. The upper wall 18" in the vicinity of the hole through which 21 penetrates said upper wall is reinforced and adhesively or otherwise bonded to the exterior surface of 21 as illustrated at 20 so as to provide a seal which effectively prevents movement of the resilient wall relative to 21 and retains the interior volume 11' totally enclosed so that it may be pressurized. Secured to the upper end of 21 is a seat or saddle 23 on which a child may sit in riding on the toy. Accordingly, the major portion of the weight of the child is concentrated on the seat or saddle 23 and is supported by the rigid lower body 12 through the support member 21.

Accordingly, in FIGS. 1 and 2 a riding toy is provided having an upper body made of a flexible, lightweight plastic which is easy to fabricate into a variety of shapes and is soft and free of sharp projections. As a result, the toy is light in weight, safer than metal or hard plastic riding toys and relatively inexpensive to produce. In order to further support the flexible plastic upper portion 18 of the toy, the volume 11 defined in part thereby, may be pressurized to outwardly bulge" and provide the flexible walls 18 in a semi-rigid condition without reducing their ability to inwardly deform and yield in use. Conventional inflation valve means may be provided secured to either the flexible wall of the upper body 18 or the wall of the lower body 12.

In FIG. 2 is shown a further construction in a riding toy having certain of the features provided in FIG. 1. The toy 25 comprises an upper body 31 made of a resilient plastic material which is secured to a lower body 26 defining a vehicle for rolling movement of the toy across a surface. The body 26 is shown as having an upper wall 27 and a circumscribing side Wall 28 portions of which define bearing support means for axles 17 supporting wheels 16 at the ends thereof. Notation 29 defines a motor of any suitable design secured to the upper wall 27 and operatively coupled for rotating at least-one of the axles 17 to power operate the toy 25 across a surface.

The flexible body portion 31 is shown having a circumscribing side wall 32 which, as in the case of the side wall 18 of FIG. 1, may have any suitable shape such as a mock toy animal as illustrated in my said co-pending application Serial No. 801,681. Notation 33 refers to the lower portion of the circumscribing side wall 32 which is shown in abutment with the upper portion of the circumscribing side wall 28 of the vehicular body 26 and is adhesively bonded or heat sealed thereto in a circumscribing seal line defined by notation 34. Accordingly, the interior vo-lume 31' which is defined by the side Walls 32 and the upper wall 32' of the upper body 31 and the top wall 27 of the lower body 26 may be supported by inflation of the pressurization of the volume 31' and/or by an upwardly extending strut or frame such as 21 of FIG. 1 which is not illustrated in FIG. 2.

As an alternative design, it is noted that the interiorly supporting means 21 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be replaced by a seat or saddle which is supported by a rigid base but extends exterior of the flexible body portion of the toy as, for example illustrated in FIGS. 13 and :14 of my applications Serial Numbers 320,184 and 801,681.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangewalls of insufiicient strength to support a child thereon,

said toy having a rigid saddle member disposed immediately adjacent the top of said resilient upper wall for supporting a child sitting on the top of said toy, supporting means for said saddle member extending through the interior of said riding toy, a'base member supporting said saddle member supporting means at its lower end, and means secured to said supporting means disposed in abutment with the under side of said resilient upper wall of body.

2. A riding toy in accordance with claim 1, said supporting means comprising a single strut member extending upwardly from said base through the interior of said hollow toy, said means for supporting said upper wall including means secured to said strut defining an upwardly facing surface abutting the under face of saidresilient upper Wall and adapted for supporting said upper Wall.

3. A hollow riding toy made at least in part of a resilient plastic material of a size which can be mounted by a child sitting on the toy and having resilient thin upper Walls of insuificient strength to support a child thereon, said toy having a support assembly including a first rigid said toy for supporting said upper Wall of said hollow member disposed immediately adjacent the top portion of said resilient upper wall for supporting a child sitting on he top of said toy, supporting means for said rigid member secured to the underside thereof and extending therefrom downwardly through the interior of said riding toy, a second member defining a support for said first member supporting means at its lower end, and means secured to said assembly disposed in abutment with the underside of said resilient upper wall of said toy for supporting said upper Wall of said hollow body.

' 4. A riding toy in accordance with claim 3, saidsupporting means for said first rigid member comprising a tubular member extending through the interior of said hollow body and secured at its lower end to said base of said toy. V

5. A riding toy in accordance with claim 3, said support assembly including means abutting the undersurface of the upper well of said toy for supporting said upper wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,042,682 Jackson Oct. 29, 1912 1,493,895 Reed May 13, 1924 1,533,520 Selenkow Apr. 14, 1925 1,765,435 McBride June 24, 1930 2,218,333 Frisk Oct. 15, 1940 2,526,786 Whitney Oct. 24, 1950 2,722,418 Small Nov. 1, 1955 3,065,567 Lemelson Q Nov. 27, 1962 

1. A HOLLOW RIDING TOY MADE AT LEAST IN PART OF A RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL OF A SIZE WHICH CAN BE MOUNTED BY A CHILD SITTING ON THE TOY AND HAVING RESILIENT THIN UPPER WALLS OF INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO SUPPORT A CHILD THEREON, SAID TOY HAVING A RIGID SADDLE MEMBER DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID RESILIENT UPPER WALL FOR SUPPORTING A CHILD SITTING ON THE TOP OF SAID TOY, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID SADDLE MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF SAID RIDING TOY, A BASE MEMBER SUPPORTING SAID SADDLE MEMBER SUPPORTING MEANS AT ITS LOWER END, AND MEANS SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS DISPOSED IN ABUTMENT WITH THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID RESILIENT UPPER WALL OF SAID TOY FOR SUPPORTING SAID UPPER WALL OF SAID HOLLOW BODY. 